Must be 21+ or over legal drinking age to consume. Please enjoy responsibly.
My first job was hostessing at a restaurant. From there, I then worked my way up to waitress when I turned 18 and, eventually, bartender. When I left that restaurant, I then continued bartending at a nightclub before my car accident in 2017. I say all of that to say this: in all of my years serving alcohol and mixing drinks, I have never seen tequila ordered as much as I have over the last year and a half.
Tequila is, undoubtedly, having its moment. I’ve personally always been more of a vodka fan, but since I’ve been making more and more drinks at home since the pandemic and for my at-home date nights, I’ve been appreciating and enjoying tequila even more. It’s smooth (when mixed well if you can’t drink it straight *raises hand*), low-calorie, and versatile. Case in point? This smoky blackberry margarita.
This smoky blackberry margarita is perfect for this time of year. The color of it gives off major fall vibes. The blackberries make this drink juicy, but a small dash of black pepper gives it an undeniably delicious smoky finish. This is the kind of cocktail everyone can appreciate. Disclaimer: you won’t be able to stop obsessing over it once you try it. Scroll down for the full recipe, and remember to enjoy responsibly. Cheers!
Smoky Blackberry Margarita:
RECIPE TYPE:
Cocktail, Margarita
DIETARY INFO:
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
SKILL LEVEL:
Easy/Beginner
YIELDS:
1 Serving
Ingredients:
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 1.5 oz silver tequila
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1 oz white cranberry juice
- 4 blackberries
- 1-2 jalapeño coins (1 for less spicy, 2 for more)
- Small dash black pepper
- Muddler (substitute back of spoon or fork)
- Cocktail shaker + strainer
- Rocks glass (or size equivalent)
- Ice
- Salt (optional; for rim)
Instructions:
SIMPLE SYRUP DIRECTIONS:
- Take 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water, and pour into pot.
- Note: you may substitute an artificial sweetener, like Splenda, for a healthier option. This is what I like to do.
- Bring to a boil on stovetop, stirring frequently.
- Once sugar has dissolved completely, remove pot from hot burner and turn the stove off. Let the mixture cool.
- Pour into container/glass, cover, and store in fridge to chill.
- Note: simple syrup should be cool/cold before serving.
HOW-TO:
- For salted rim: pour salt onto plate, then wet rim of rocks glass, and dip into salt. Set aside, then continue with recipe below.
- Add blackberries, jalapeño coin(s), simple syrup, and tequila to shaker. Muddle ingredients together well.
- Add in white cranberry juice and a dash of black pepper, then fill the rest up with ice.
- Cover cocktail shaker and shake well—remember: cocktail shaker should be cold to the touch!
- Place 2-3 ice cubes in rocks glass.
- Strain contents of cocktail shaker into rocks glass and enjoy responsibly.
